Main Story/11-1
__TOC__ Part 1 Atsushi stands in front of the office door, his hand on the doorknob. Atsushi takes a deep breath and opens the door to the office... Atsushi gazes at the scene unfolding before him with a look of confusion on his face. Kyouka was dressed like a maid, with the other members of the detective agency gathered all around her. Doing as she is asked, Kyouka twirls about on the spot. Kunikida sits alone working on his computer. Opening the door energetically, Rampo enters the office carrying a large paper bag. Rampo takes some confectionary out of the paper bag and joyfully displays it to Kyouka. Kyouka shows great interest in the candy she had never seen before. Kyouka's eyes sparkle at the sight of the candy. Saying this, Rampo takes the newly-made candy from Kyouka's hands and eats it in one mouthful. Behind Atsushi stood Fukuzawa. Fukuzawa approaches Kyouka with a solemn look on his face. Atsushi lowers his head to Fukuzawa. Part 2 Akutagawa lay asleep on a stretcher bed. He was wrapped in bandages, breathing through an oxygen mask while receiving an intravenous drip. The only sound in the room was that of the electrocardiograph. At the head of a long table sat a man, eating his meal alone. Higuchi stood in the dimly lit dining room, facing the man. Next to him sat a girl, who was drawing something on the floor with a crayon. Holding her handkerchief between her teeth, Higuchi washes her hands in the restroom. She sees her lifeless face in the mirror and immediatly averts her eyes. The moment she says this, Gin appears with a sound and presses a knife to Higuchi's throat. Gin releases Higuchi. The other Black Lizards, Hirotsu and Tachihara, were standing in the doorway of the restroom. Higuchi stares at Akutagawa, who still lays unconscious in the stretcher bed. She gingerly reaches to hold his hand... Akutagawa emerges alone from the entrance of a building, after what appears to have been an intense battle. The facade of the building was crumbling as if it had been hit by an explosive. Higuchi chases Akutagawa, who was intent on leaving. The upper floor of the building that Akutagawa just exited explodes, and smoke rises into the sky. Higuchi reflexively prepares to protect Akutagawa from the falling rubble. Higuchi withdraws her hand as Akutagawa's words replay in her mind. Higuchi opens the door and returns to her own room. The room was empty and dark. A small group of men armed with sub-machine guns force their ways into the infirmary where Akutagawa is sleeping. Silens wailing in the background. The men have their weapons at the ready, but soon lower them upon realizing that Akutagawa is alone and uncounscious. One of the men steps forward and rips out the plugs of the medical equipment. Part 3 Higuchi rushes out of her room the moment she received the phone call. Hirotsu and Tachihara stand next to Higuchi, who was filling her bag with as many of the guns and grenades from the armory as she could. Ignoring their advice, Higuchi storms out of the armory, Tachihara tries to grab her arm, but she violently shakes him off. Ready for a fight, Higuchi heads off on her own. Part 4 Through the gap in the slightly open door of the warehouse used by the enemy, the figures of a number of armed mercenaries could be seen. The hand that held her gun trembled with fear, but Higuchi steels her resolve and tosses a grenade through the doorway. Higuchi storms the warehouse the moment the grenade goes off, opening fire on the mercenaries with her sub-machine gun. Her shots tear through the enemy as they go down one after another. One of the mercenaries clims on top of a container and takes aim upon Higuchi, who was using a wooden crate to cover during the firefight. Higuchi senses his presence and shoots him down, but the mercenary fires back as he dies, his bullet piercing through Higuchi's thigh. A hail of bullets rains upon Higuchi, who takes cover and looks at her wounded leg. Higuchi's eyes widen at the image of Akutagawa entering her mind. Unleashing a battle cry, she leaps out from behind the crate and opens fire. One of the mercenaries' bullets hits Higuchi's sub-machine gun, knocking it from her hand. She reflexively draws her pistol, but is shot in the right shoulder before she can pull the trigger. Covering the wound with her hand, Higuchi collapses on the floor. The mercenaries gather around her. One of the men raises his gun and aims it at Higuchi, who lays motionless on the floor. A gunshot echoes through the warehouse. Part 5 Higuchi turns her head to see Hirotsu, Tachihara, Gin, and the rest of the black lizards. Upon receiving Tachihara's command, the Black Lizards open fire in unison. Gin slashes the throats of one mercenary after another while Tachihara shoots down more with his pistols. Others are sent flying across the warehouse by shockwaves from Hirotsu. The remaining mercenaries had been killed by the Black Lizards. Glancing at the aftermath out of the corner of her eye, Higuchi drags her leg as she makes for the office in the warehouse. In the office was the abducted and injured Akutagawa, who laid in the stretcher bed. Higuchi takes her handkerchief and goes to wipe the blood from his face. Akutagawa catches her hand.